Explore an Integrative|Nutritional Approach to Mental Health

 

An integrative & holistic approach to mental health explores the whole person (mind, body, spirit) when considering influences on the mental and emotional wellbeing of the individual. An integrative psychotherapist will collaborate with you to assess nutritional habits and gut health, circadian rhythm, environment, relational influences, sources of stress, and spiritual/mindfulness resourcing.

An integrative approach explores how food and mood issues are related particularly for anxiety and depression and explores the root cause rather than treating symptoms. This process can take more time for results than prescribing pharmaceuticals but is a great option for those who value a natural approach to their treatment. As a Certified Integrative Mental Health Professional (CIMHP) I help clients learn the connection between nutrition and mental health, exploring how different foods & nutrients, environment, sleep, and other physiological influences (or absence of them) may be impacting their mental health symptoms.

 
 
 

Integrative Intensives

In our work together we’ll take an intensive and focused approach over the course of two sessions to explore what matters specifically to you, what the barriers are for you, and identify practical and accessible steps toward change that make sense for your values, your priorities, preferences, and life stage. After creating a personalized plan, clients have stated they feel excited for the first time regarding the action steps we outline that make a lot of sense for them. Individuals exploring this work have stated they feel heard and find a lot of hope in this whole-person approach to mental health. Most clients begin experiencing some benefits of this work within the first two to four weeks of engaging the right changes for their specific needs.

We will engage assessments related to food + mood to identify gut health impact on brain health, explore circadian rhythm, and we may be curious about labs for cortisol levels or bloodwork to assess deficiencies (through your primary care physician or functional doctor), and other tools for discerning how your gut health and hormone health may be impacting symptoms of depression, anxiety, or low energy.

This approach might be right for you if …

  • you value a natural (non-pharmaceutical) approach to your physical and mental health.

  • you struggle with mild to moderate depression or anxiety and want to explore holistic and personalized options before using pharmaceuticals.

  • you are open to using nutrition, exercise, sleep, and lifestyle to improve your mental health.

  • you are curious about integrating your mind and body together to improve your symptoms.

  • you are committed to the long-term work of making small changes over time for the best outcome.

  • you are willing to collaborate with me to identify the best fit plan for you - taking your preferences, your body, your life situation and needs into consideration for a personalized approach.

  • you are ready to learn to trust your body. You know your body better than anyone and I will partner with you to trust the inner wisdom you already have.

Next steps

If you are looking for support in using nutrition and lifestyle to explore how your mind and body are intimately connected, let’s begin! Use the contact form to schedule a free 20 minute consult where you’ll tell me a little about yourself and the concerns you have related to your mental and nutritional health.

We’ll discern if this modality is a good fit for you and schedule your first session, this might be scheduled 4-6 weeks out.

Plan for the first appointment to be 80 minutes, your second session will be 50 minutes, and we’ll discuss how you would feel best supported beyond these first two conversations.

2 Intensive Integrative Sessions include ($497 - 1st session; $150 - 2nd session):

  • Review of your health history, nutrition questionnaire, food-mood tracking, and files. My initial assessment in preparation for your first session.

  • Your first appointment (80 minutes in person or zoom)

  • Development of an intensive Personalized Integrative Mental Health and Nutritional Document that includes a summary of our conversation, observations, practical recommendations, and resources for next steps. (Clients reference this document throughout our work together and beyond as a guide!)

  • Nutritional, herbal, and other integrative recommendations

  • Suggestions for additional testing or labs with your PCP, if needed

  • Your follow up appointment (50 minutes)

Not included:

Cost of tests, additional appointments, extra time during your appointments. If we agree to a regular meeting schedule to help you with your progress, additional sessions are @ $150/50 min or $100/30 min.

What to expect in your appointments

  1. Once we have booked your first appointment and payment has been received, I will send you the paperwork, intake, consent forms, a food-mood tracking diary that you will use for 3 days, and a release of information for me to connect with any prescribing physician or practitioner you want me to collaborate with.

  2. You can upload any lab tests you have completed within the last three months including vitamin D, thyroid, cortisol, metabolic panels, CBC, and others that may be important in our work together.

  3. I will get to know you in our first appointment, offer some initial insights, and explore what is important to you to create the best plan going forward.

  4. Following the first appointment I will create a Personalized Integrative Mental Health and Nutritional Document plan that includes your goals based on our conversation with recommendations and options for next steps at a pace that feels right to you.

  5. During your second appointment we’ll discuss your personalized plan, any lab results, my recommendations, resourcing for quality supplements, areas that need additional support, and next steps.

  6. Following your second appointment I am available for quick questions or status updates on how things are going. Depending on the intensity of your personal plan, it can be very supportive to schedule a touchpoint every 1-3 months (sometimes more frequent if you’re just getting started) for ongoing support and check-ins exploring what’s working and where changes might be needed for success.